Means affording a detachable connection between a blade unit and a pressure unit therefor



Feb. 16, 1960 J. w. ANDERSON MEANS AFFORDING A DETACHABLE conmzcmou BETWEEN A BLADE UNIT AND A PRESSURE UNIT THEREFOR Flled June 6, 1956 INVENTOR. JoH N W. ANDERSON nited States Pate This invention relates generally to windshield wipers and-more particularly to a wiper-which will wipe a curved or flat windshield.

Thewiper may be constructed in various "ways, but as .herein shown comprises a bladeassembly and a pressur'edistributing device operatively connected to the blade assembly. The blade assembly includes arresilient wiping element and aresiliently flexible supportidetachably connected to the element. The. pressure device preferably includes a ,pair of secondary yokes having "their ends connected to the blade assembly at longitudinally spaced ,points, a'primary yokeor bridge vhaving'itsends connected to intermediate portions of .the secondary yokesyand a connector carried by the .primary yoke 'for'iattachment with a wiper arm.

Withtheforegoinglih mind,'the principal object of the invention is to provide improved connectionrmeans whereby to facilitate assembly of the blade assembly and pressure device during "manufacture and replacement of a new blade assembly-when required. p The detachableconnectionis "preferably comprised of 'cooperatin-g 'components formed on the blade assembly and pressure device-as distinguished from separate fittings or fa steners for obtaining the connection. More specifically in this regard, the connection includes providing the support of, the blade assembly with a pair of longitudinally spaced abutments for receiving therebetween an end of one of the secondary yokes. One of the abutments is preferably made rigid and the other yieldable or flexible so that when the blade assembly is slid lengthwise into connection with the pressure device an end of one of the secondary yokes will cause retraction of the yieldable abutment until the end engages the rigid abutment, whereupon the yieldable abutment will automatically return or snap back to its original position and lock the said end of the yoke between the abutments. The arrangement is preferably such that separation of the blade assembly and pressure device can be readily effected after merely actuating or depressing the yieldable abutment to an extent permitting release of the locked end of the secondary yoke from between the abutments.

Significant features of the invention reside in locating the rigid abutment adjacent one end of the support so that only the opposite end of the support can be introduced for slidable connection with either extremity of the pressure device, and in locating the yieldable abutment so that the first extremity of the pressure device which is slid ontothe said opposite end of the support will eventually cause retraction of the yieldable abutment when the secondary yokes of the device are properly mounted on the support.

Another object of the invention is to provide the rigid abutment by offsetting transversely a portion of the support and the yieldable abutment by forming a yieldable tongue extending lengthwise of the support, and preferably locating the abutments upwardly so they cannot accidentally scratch a windshield as the blade assembly is moved thereon.

t 0 ee 2,924,839 Patented Feb. 16, 1960 2 iAifur-ther object of the invention is to provide a blade assembl'y whichoiiers a reduction with respect to costs in manufacture and assembly as compared to an arrangement in' which separate fittings or fasteners are employed to obtaina connection between a blade assembly and a pressure device.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent after the-description hereinafter set forth is considered in "conjunction with the drawings annexe'd hereto.

inane drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational'view er a wiper comprisring'a"bladeassembly-and a pressure device therefor, showing 'a fixed and a"yieldable=abutment on the support of the blade assembly for locking'purposes;

Figure 2 is an enlarged partial top 'view of the Wiper illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged partialside elevational view ofith'e wiper depicted in Figure 1; and

JFIigure -4 is a partial elevationalend view o'fthe blade tasseinbly illustrated in Figure l,j-with portions in section -to-'.ill ustrate certain structural details.

Asiexemplified inFigures l throu'gh'4 of tlie drawing, the bladeass'emb'ly or unit includes a resiliently flexible isupport :generally designated '1 and a resilient wiping element 2. The-support and wiping element may be at .tachedzin various ways, but as illustrated-the support is elongate, of substantially uniform thickness and provided with a long-itudinal 'narrow slot 3*terminating short "of .theiehds'bftheasupport to provide connecting portions. Thus, longitudinal parallel portions 4 of the support can be spread 'Japart toerilarge the s'lot so'th'at the wiping element 12 can be properly located therein, afterwhich the longitudinal portions are released for interlocking connection with the wiping element.

The wiping element is preferably formedin one piece and provided with r opposed 'longitudinally extending ex- .cterior igrooves 5 therein to -provide' a neck "6. "These grooves receive the inner marginal edges of the longitudinal portions 4 with the neck between such portions so that portions of the element engage the upper and lower surfaces of the support as depicted in Figure 4. The element is preferably further formed with a second pair of opposed longitudinally extending grooves 7 to provide a hinge 8 to obtain a controlled pivotal movement of a wiping head 9 having wiping edges thereon as shown.

The pressure unit or device may be designed and constructed in various ways, but as disclosed herein is preferably comprised of a plurality of relatively movable members, such as a pair of secondary yokes 10 and 11 having their ends mounted on the support at longitudinally spaced points, a primary yoke 12 having its ends pivoted to intermediate portions of the secondary yokes, and a connector 13 carried by the primary yoke for attachment with a fitting on a wiper arm, not shown.

The secondary yokes are preferably identical in design and construction. includes a transverse portion 14 which overlies that portion of the wiper element above the support and a pair of opposed laterally offset portions or ears 15 which are a substantially U-shaped in cross section for slidably embracing the exterior longitudinal marginal edges of the support as clearly depicted in Figure 4.

The connection utilized to detachably connect the blade. Q

Each end of each secondary yoke shown. Attention is directed to the fact that the flexible abutment 17 is located between the longitudinal marginal edges of one of the longitudinal portions of the support; that the abutment 16 is preferably formed transverse to the grain of the material from which the support is made and is, therefore, relatively rigid as against thrust in .a

direction longitudinally of the blade assembly; and that the abutments preferably project upwardly and not laterally from the sides of the support so they cannot scratch the windshield whenthe blade assembly is moved thereon. The abutments are preferably located adjacent one extremity of the support and longitudinally spaced a pre determined distance apart was to provide means for receiving or accommodating the outer eared end or part of either of the secondary yokes, depending on which of these yokes is first slid into connection with the support. 1

The mode of connecting and disconnecting the blade assembly and pressure device is easily and quickly accomplished by merely moving the device toward-the right as viewed in Figure 1 so that the left end of the support will successively receive the ears 15 on the secondary yokes 11 and 10 and when the device is moved farther to the right the outer end of the yoke 11 will engage and retract the finger 17 and when said end leaves the finger and/or engages the fixed abutment 16 the yieldable finger will automatically return to a normal locking position and thereby lock the end between the abutments. The abutment l6 not only serves as a stop to locate an outer end of one of the secondary yokes with respect to the yieldable abutment during connection of the units, but normally prevents an individual from sliding the pressure unit over the right end of the blade assembly. In other words, the organization described primarily affords a locking of the units by introducing only one end of the blade assembly into either end of the pressure device. However, if the occasion requires, the relatively rigid abutment can be depressed-to efiect a separation of the units, in which event the yieldable abutment will be retracted when the secondary yokes are moved back over the abutment 16.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of the invention; and, therefore,

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described.

I claim:

In combination: a windshield wiper blade unit and a pressure unit, said blade unit comprising an elongate resilient wiper element and an elongate resiliently flexible support therefor said support comprising side portions disposed in substantially the same plane and having inner edges engagingopposite sides of the element and outer substantially parallel edges, and one ofsaid side portions being provided with a fixed abutment and the other side portion with .a' resiliently flexible abutment spaced longitudinally from the'fixed abutment, said abutments being located adjacent one extremity of the support and between its outer edges, said pressure unit including a pressure-distributing part mounted on the side portions between the abutments for holding-the units together, said resiliently flexible abutment being operable to automatically lock the part between the abutments when the units are brought into, proper engagement and also being manually operable to permit separation of the units.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS- 2,659,923

Horton Nov. 24, 1953 2,666,939 Greerdeaf et a1. Ian. 26, 1954 2,687,544 Scinta -2-.. Aug. 31, 1954 2,706,305 Oishei Apr. 19, 1955 2,741,792 Ehrlich et al Apr. 17, 1956 

